Claws of Gold (Sequel to Iron Claws)
by eenchilada98
Summary: She was happy. But right when she thought everything was going to end out alright, the world turned on its head and her happy ending was swept out from under her feet. Everything was taken from them: the self-denied hero lost his heroine; the feline agent lost her dream. Except for one small issue: he's determined not to give up on her, and she's determined to return.
1. Prologue

_Alright, so the sequel to Iron Claws, Claws of Gold, is finally coming to FanFiction! You're all going to be about a day delayed in postings, okay? Sorry._

_Please do review and let me know what you think!_

* * *

**Prologue**

~ _Asgard _~

Her tail swished back and forth impatiently while she paced. Andraste Forsythe was angry. No, angry wasn't a good enough word. She was livid. So livid she wanted nothing more than to beat the self-satisfied smirk right off his face with a crowbar. Not that she _could've_ done that, no matter how badly she _wanted _to. He was, unfortunately, far stronger than she was. And it pissed her off like never before.

"Please, love, stop your pacing. You're beginning to give me a headache," he complained.

She simply started pacing faster and smirked. "Good."

He sighed. "How long are you going to keep this up? Can you not forgive me by now?"

"Nope."

There was a momentary silence between them.

"Do you truly love him so much?"

This made her stop. She turned and looked at the man.

"Yes."

* * *

~ _Earth _~

The bottle was empty, and now it was mocking him. Silently mocking him for ever having believed that maybe she might have stayed forever this time, that maybe they might have had a decent future together. Life doesn't work that way, and he should have seen this coming. But he hadn't. He hadn't expected this. Now she was gone and he was heartbroken again. Why couldn't the damn woman just stay in one place for fuck's sake?

_Because that's not what she's like, _the bottle told him again, _She's cold and heartless and doesn't care who she hurts or what she does to the people who care._

He scowled at it and slammed it down on the countertop. Why couldn't life be fucking fair to him for once? The bottle was wrong. She was perfect, she was everything to him. She _was... _why did it have to be was? Why couldn't she be here with him now, stroking his cheek and turning his head to face her, pressing her soft lips to his as he ran his hands through her silky hair... _damn it. _The alcohol was making him see things again.

JARVIS informed him that his blood-alcohol levels were far above what was healthy and that he ought to head to bed. He snorted under his breath and grabbed another bottle before heading downstairs to his garage. There was no chance he was giving up. Not yet. Not on her.

* * *

_Alright, so you guys are finally getting the sequel! Please please PLEASE let me know what you think! Updates will be on an irregular schedule after the first chapter._

_Any questions, comments, concerns? Drop me a line!_

_- Emmy_


	2. Welcome to Asgard

_This is chapter one! Please review so I know that you like it! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter One: Welcome to Asgard**

~ _Asgard _~

Andra cried in surprise. She couldn't believe this, didn't _want _to believe this. This had to be some sick trick that Loki was playing on her mind as one last 'screw-you-for-rejecting-me' maneuver. Andra couldn't possibly have come with them to Asgard. Yet the feel of the air, the floor beneath her feet and the gold before her eyes all told her differently. She was truly there. Her eyes filled with red as she realized what he had done. The crack that resounded as she slapped him across the face wasn't nearly as satisfying as it should have been.

"Damn you, Loki!" she yelled, trying to make herself angrier than she already was so she could beat him to a pulp – it didn't work as well as she'd hoped.

Regardless, he looked down at her and smiled. '_I told you. You're mine, Andraste.'_

She cried out in anger as she turned from him, trying to mask her grief. He had taken her from Earth, from S.H.I.E.L.D., from _Tony_… from everything. Her world had a gaping hole in it now. The guards came up and grabbed Loki, pulling him back as a voice echoed across the room. Andra turned towards it and saw a man standing in golden armor, with a long burgundy cape flowing from his shoulders. On one eye was an eye patch made of the same metal, which she found reminiscent of Fury. Even his presence was much the same, those this man exuded more royalty than sheer power. Thor began walking up to the man, trying to explain what had happened with Andra to this man he called Father.

"Silence, Thor," the man told him, "Let the young woman speak for herself."

As she swallowed down her emotions, her feet led her in front of the man. "Sir—"

"I am Odin Allfather," he corrected her, and she nodded.

"Allfather, I don't understand myself why I'm here. All I can think is that it'd be best to ask the one who brought me," she suggested, casting a glance at Loki.

The Allfather looked between them for a moment before shaking his head. "Then for now, your arrival shall remain a mystery. It is best that for the time being, we do not take such a risk as to remove his mouth-guard. A master of magic can do many things with the use of his tongue."

Again, she nodded. "I understand."

_'Come now… will you not fight for me, beloved?_' Loki asked her, purring into her mind.

She mentally scoffed. _Not while I'm mad at you. _

A hand hit her shoulder and she looked beside her at Thor. "Perhaps it would be best if you were given some rest, Lady Forsythe. I can see to it that –"

"That will not be necessary, Thor. I would like to speak to the young woman," Odin interrupted and they both froze, "For now… _Guards_! Take Loki to a place where he will be held safely, keep a constant eye on him. Thor, leave us."

"But Father –"

"Go, Thor," he ordered and the Prince left the Throne Room instantly, leaving Andra and Odin alone.

She sighed. "Sir, if there is anything that –"

"What is your relation to Loki?" he abruptly asked, and her breath caught in her throat.

"He… he…" she trailed off, unsure if she really wanted to tell the Allfather that she was a mass murderer's lover, "He stole me and used me for his own purposes during his attack on New York. I wasn't in control, he was."

Odin nodded. "And why did he bring you here?"

"I don't know," she admitted, shrugging, "You'd have to ask him."

"Very well. Go and rest, I will call upon you on the morrow. Be ready. Sleep well this night, Lady Andraste," he ominously told her, and she bowed lightly before running off in some random direction.

Andra walked into a hallway and leaned against the wall, trying to calm her nerves. The Allfather gave her some creepy feelings and she wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps because he literally radiated power and control. Yes, that had to have been it. She didn't like anyone with more power over herself than her.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder and she turned to face the person, standing tall and proud in a fighting position. She was met with the sight of a kind looking woman with long blonde hair and a sweet appearance. Andra instantly relaxed. A smile was on the woman's face as she looked over the younger woman before her.

"So you are the one Loki stole here," she said, though it almost didn't need to be said.

Andra nodded, deciding to take an impassive expression and a flat tone. "I guess. And you are?"

"I am Frigga, child. Odin's wife and Thor and Loki's mother," she said in a sweet voice, so kind it seemed like she was simply reminding her.

Her eyes widened as she realized who she had been speaking to. "Oh! I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Frigga told her, then gestured to the corridor leading away from the throne room, "Will you walk with me?"

Andra nearly hesitated, but decided against it and smiled at her. "Of course, uh… do I address you as mi'lady or ma'am, or…"

"Simply Frigga would work fine."

"Frigga, then. Please, call me Andra. I'm not a big fan of formalities."

The woman chuckled. "I think formality would be strange in this case. You are, after all, the beloved of one of my sons."

Andra cringed. "About that…"

"I know that you do not feel exactly as he does. It would be hard to after all he has done against you and your people," she mused, and Andra was relieved she understood, "Yet I cannot help but notice that you and he have a special bond, one he shares with no one else. Can you tell me about it?"

They were walking out of the corridor and into a long hallway with a balcony overlooking Asgard. It was truly a marvelous view, but the women's minds were elsewhere. Andra sighed as she leaned against the railing, feeling as if it was question she almost didn't want to answer. Frigga stood beside her, the perfect example of feminine nobility. Instantly, she felt out of place here. Everything would be simpler if she could just go home. Yet she couldn't, and she had to answer Frigga's question.

"Loki can… talk in my head. I know it sounds crazy, but he's got some spell that does it. I honestly don't understand much about it, just that it's all mental," she revealed, and the other women nodded.

"I thought as much. He seems to love you a great deal if he was willing to go through the trouble of bringing you here," the queen told her, but she merely scoffed.

"Loki doesn't love me, he just wants to mess with me. If he loved me, he'd have left me happy on Earth with…" she trailed off, not wanting to say his name quite yet, "– where I belong, and not brought me here."

Frigga regarded her for a moment, then spoke softly, "You are in love with another."

She stayed silent for a long time. "Yes, I am."

"And does this other man love you?"

Andra smiled slightly, thinking of him. "Yes, he does. We were going to move in together."

"Oh dear," Frigga moaned and smiled at the cat, "My son never does choose the easy path, does he?"

She chuckled. "No, I guess not."

With that issue resolved, Andra looked over the view in front of them, finally enjoying it. The whole of Asgard seemed to be spread before her, gleaming in golden light. A large platform lay over the city, shining and flashing with many different colors. At the end of it, far out beyond the edge of the land and the beginning of the water, was a huge… construction of some sort, she couldn't tell what it was.

She turned to Frigga and pointed at it, asking, "What's that, way over there?"

"That," Frigga explained with a sigh, "is the reconstruction of the Bifrost."

"Bifrost… I've heard that somewhere before. What is it?"

"The Bifrost is the only way to safely travel between realms. In truth, it is the only way to send you home," she said with a sad, pitying smile, "But I'm afraid we won't be able to until it is finished."

Andra looked at the city below her, thinking of the fact that she could not return. Frigga stepped towards her and rested her hand lightly on her arm, trying to comfort her.

"I wish we could send you back to Midgard, Andra," she told her, "I can tell that you miss your home greatly."

"I do miss it. I miss it a lot," she admitted, then chuckled lightly, "God, I sound horrible, saying that I miss my home when I haven't even given this place a chance. This shouldn't bother me, anyway, I've been moved around enough before."

She looked at the goddess, who was looking out at the Bifrost, "Anyone being taken from their home so abruptly would miss it instantly. Besides, from what you've told me, you were forced to leave love behind. That is the hardest thing of all."

A nod was all she could muster as she looked out over the landscape. A question came to her and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why is the Bifrost under construction? What happened to it?" she asked, and Frigga seemed to go still.

"It was destroyed during a battle."

She cast a glance at the other woman, then looked at the building with a cocked head. "What happened?"

The goddess sighed. "Loki had taken control of Asgard. Using his father's scepter, he activated the Bifrost in order to destroy Jotenheim. You see, if the Bifrost is left open for too long, it gains too much power and can destroy realms. Loki intended to do this to Jotenheim, but Thor arrived and stopped him. During their battle, the Bifrost was lost."

Andra looked at Frigga again. "Why did he want to destroy Jotenheim?"

"Jotenheim has always been rival to Asgard and he sought to eliminate our enemies," she explained, but Andra got the idea that there was something missing there.

"Why?"

There was a long pause before she answered, "Because he wanted to prove to Odin that he could be the rightful king… that he deserved the Throne."

All fell silent. Andra didn't understand entirely, but she could get the gist that he was refused it anyway, and therefore he wanted to take over her world. It was simple, really. He was power-hungry. He wanted to rule so badly… it must have overtaken his logic at some point. Neither of them spoke as Thor walked up behind his mother, his red cape billowing behind him. He stepped down the stairs onto the balcony they were on and crossed his arms, standing before them.

"Mother, Lady Forsythe," he acknowledged them both before turning to Andra, "You look tired. Perhaps a good night's rest is in order?"

She nodded, feeling the weariness of Tesseract-travel in her bones. "Yeah, you're probably right. Where am I gonna sleep, though?"

"A room's been prepared for you. Come, I'll show you the way," he said, offering his arm to her.

Andra chuckled and took it, feeling less out of place and more like everything was just one big game. Still, she knew this was real and she would awake here in the morning, regardless of how much she wished otherwise. They bade Frigga goodnight as he pulled her back into the corridor. As they walked through the hallways, many men and women nodded to Thor, and some even gave little bows or formal greetings. Finally they entered a peaceful hallway and she looked at the side of his face.

"You've got quite the reputation here," she noted, then chuckled lightly, "It's all so formal… sorry for asking, but do you have any friends that aren't so… stuffy?"

He laughed at her comment. "Yes, I do have friends that are not as 'stuffy', to use your terms. They're the Warriors Three and Sif. Perhaps I should introduce you tomorrow," he mused and she hastily accepted.

"Of course, I'd love to meet them," she admitted.

He stopped before a set of double doors and turned to her, signaling the end of their walk. She smiled at him and released his arm. One of his hands came down on her shoulder lightly.

"If there is anything I can do for you, Lady Forsythe, don't hesitate to ask," he told her with a sincere expression, "Loki's actions were not acceptable. We cannot send you home until the Bifrost is fixed, and it won't be finished for some time."

She nodded, understanding. "I get it. Though you shouldn't feel like you have to make up for Loki's actions. They were Loki's alone and trust me, he'll feel my wrath as soon as I get the chance."

He smiled. "I do not doubt that, Lady Forsythe. From what I saw during the battle with the Chitauri, your wrath is something to behold and to fear."

"Thanks," she grinned, then added, "I have one thing to ask."

"Anything."

"_Please _stop calling me 'Lady Forsythe.' I'm not a lady, and I don't go by my last name anyway. Just call me Andra," she informed him.

"But –" he began to protest and she cut him off.

She put her hands on her hips and gave him a hard look. "You said _anything_. I'm holding you to your word, Thunder. Can't go back on it now."

He seemed amused at his new nickname, then nodded. "If that is what you wish, Andra," he promised, emphasizing her name, it sounding foreign on his tongue.

Again, she grinned, and bade him goodnight as he walked away. Then she turned to open the doors to her new lodgings. Maybe being here wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

~ _New York City, Earth, Stark Tower _~

Tony Stark paced in his garage, running through equations and possibilities in his head. Selvig's notes weren't helping him, they weren't at all what he had hoped for when running back through them. Nothing on dimensional rifts between worlds or passageways. He needed to find her, but he didn't know how. There was nothing, no notes from anyone on these things, no beginnings or endings to anything that had ever even involved it remotely. No one had any record of someone passing between realms. He had analyzed the energy signatures at the moment of their departure over and over again, as well as the ones when Thor had come and left the first time in New Mexico, but nothing he found was helpful. The energy signatures appeared suddenly, were bright for as long as it took to get the intended subject through, then they left without a trace.

It was as if life didn't want him to find her. But he couldn't give up. There had to be something, someone who could help him with this. He pulled out the mini tablet again, retrieving the files on the Avengers and looking through them all for any and all clues as to what happened. Then he ran across something interesting. Scientist Jane Foster… she had been the one involved with Shakespeare. She would know something about the energy signatures and be looking for Thor, most likely. She was also collaborating with Erik Selvig, and he was a renowned astrophysicist.

Maybe it was time to give Jane Foster a call.

* * *

~ _Asgard, Royal Palace, Andra's Chambers _~

She stepped into the room with a look of awe. This whole palace was huge, wasn't it? Her room was open and airy, with beautiful silver decorations. There was a large fireplace, the fire blazing brightly, with a couch and a loveseat angled in front of it and a table between them. The four-poster bed across the room was covered in deep red velvet, from the looks of it – she noted in the back of her mind that this must have been where Loki got the idea, and the wardrobe beside it was big enough to fit _all _of her worldly belongings back on Earth into. Curiosity overwhelmed her and she walked to the wardrobe, opening it and looking inside. There were… dresses. Lots and lots of dresses. Andra made a face as she looked them over, looking through the drawers for something that wasn't long and flimsy. She ran across corsets and undergarments, along with a large amount of nightgowns and even lingerie. It made her wonder when and _why_ they thought she'd find that useful.

Utterly disappointed, she closed the wardrobe, walked over to the bed and sat down. It was _so _comfortable. She let out a content sigh and laid back on the bed, curling up in her signature almost cat-like position. Her tail wrapped around her and she unintentionally slipped into sleep.

* * *

~ _Home _~

Her steps were quiet as she sauntered down the spiraling stairs to the ground floor. She could hear the sound of music playing downstairs as she walked towards the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. The warm liquid burned in her throat only a little before spreading tingling warmth through her bones to her feet. A sigh escaped her lips as she walked towards the window overlooking the sea. Someone's hands slipped around her waist and she closed her eyes in content, leaning against his chest.

"Morning, babe," he muttered, laying a kiss on her shoulder.

She turned around and pressed her lips to his, holding the coffee mug out so it wouldn't be disturbed. "Good morning," she replied sleepily yet in a happy tone.

Their hands interlocked as she set down the coffee and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly. A smile spread across her face as he led her back downstairs and to the garage. Their work was everywhere; plans and markings, prototypes and finished products. He set her down on a chair and they went to work for a while – at least, she thought that they did, it only took a few minutes. Then his hands turned her around and he kissed her quite passionately. They stood and he gave her a naughty smirk. She shook her head with a sad smile and he whined, leading her upstairs to their bedroom. Once they got there, he simply laid with her on the bed, holding her to him.

They pulled apart and lay there facing each other, talking and laughing. Then he pulled her left hand to him, kissing it sweetly. Then he intertwined the fingers of his left hand with hers, looking lovingly at their matching golden bands. His right hand brought her face up to meet his and he looked down into her eyes.

"I love you, Andra," he told her, and she grinned.

"I love you too, Tony," she replied.

They kissed; a long, sweet kiss full of passion and adoration. Then a cry interrupted them and both of them groaned. Andra looked at him and he sighed, releasing his hand after another kiss to it.

"Fine, fine. I'll go check on the nightmare. But if she wants your comfort, you'll have to deal with it," he told her, and she laughed lightly, nodding.

"I know. Just go find out what she wants, would you?"

"Yes, dear; of course, dear; anything you say, dear," he teased, sticking his tongue out at her.

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a stern look. "You should be willing to go check on her. You're her father, it's your fault she exists."

With another sigh, he left the room. Andra let out a breath, sitting up in bed, preparing for the return of the father and daughter. They came back and she looked at her toddler, quite enraptured with her sweet little girl. Her light and dark brown hair, her cute little ears and tail, and her eyes. Those gorgeous eyes of…

Emerald green?

She looked to the father beside her and her eyes widened to see Loki holding her child and looking at her daughter with as much love as a father would. He muttered a few words to the girl, then looked at Andra with eyes full of adoration that quickly turned to concern.

"Andraste, love, are you alright?" he asked, hoisting her – _their _daughter higher up on his waist.

She simply sat there in shock, unsure how this had happened… she could have sworn that she wasn't with him a few minutes ago. Loki sat down on the bed beside her feet and adjusted the little girl, looking to her curiously.

"Do you know what's wrong with your mother, child?" Loki asked her, and she shook her head, "Well, why don't we comfort her, Tyra?"

Andra simply stared at them as he smiled down at her and she returned it.

"Okay, daddy," she said, in the sweetest little voice Andra had ever heard.

The little girl – Tyra – crawled over to her quickly and sat on her lap, hugging her as tightly as a girl of her age could. She melted and wrapped her arms around her daughter, relishing the feeling of her comforting gesture. Then her eyes glanced up at the man behind her.

"Please, Andraste, tell me what is wrong with my wife."

* * *

_So... what do you think of Andra's dream? _

_Any questions, comments, concerns? A review would make me a VERY happy author!_

_- Emmy_


	3. Handmaiden

_Review answers!_

_MitsukaiTame: Yes way. And I'm sorry, but I never reveal ANYTHING about the story. Ask my wonderful readers on Wattpad, this story has always been unpredictable. I won't tell you anything and you can rest assured; the story probably won't end out like this. Or it might. In fact, if Loki has his way, it will. But, you know, I never reveal anything. ;)_

_SongifiedStoryteller: (Does that mean that your stories are songs or that your songs are stories?) What exactly are you damning?_

_That's all! I love hearing from you, and I hope to hear more from you! Your reviews help me keep going! And now, enjoy! ~_

* * *

**Chapter Two: Handmaiden**

~ _Andra's Chambers, Asgard _~

Andra sat up quickly, her heart beating in her head. She was close to hyperventilating. As she forced herself to calm down, adjusting her position on the huge velvet bed, she looked out over the room. The moon filtered in through the large windows, bathing the room in a faint white light. The fire on the other side of her chamber had burned down to the last of the wood, flaming only a little as she stood from her bed and walked towards it. It was warmer on the loveseat by the fire, calming her nerves as she stared into the flames.

What had she just seen? She had been with Tony, a wonderful dream about their life if she had stayed on Earth, only for her beloved to turn into Loki. Why had Tony become Loki, anyways? Did that mean that he had been trying to contact her through her dreams? If so… had he been manipulating them? Anger spread through her as she realized that it was quite possible for him to appear. That evil man had manipulated her too far this time. Her dreams were _hers_. And she was not going to be his wife and they were not going to have a child. Nope. Not gonna happen. She would show that ass who was in charge here. In a moment, she felt herself knocking on the walls of his mind.

_'What is it, Andraste? Why are you awake so late?' _he asked, even his mental voice sounding sleepy.

_As if you weren't awake too, _she snapped.

_'I assure you, you awoke me. Why so harsh, my dear?'_

_ You know exactly why I'm harsh._

_ 'What have I done now?' _he drawled, sounding tired and bored.

_You know what you did._

_ 'Oh, do I?'_

_ Really, Loki? You think I'm that naïve? _

_ 'I don't think you are naïve at all.'_

She groaned, tired of his lies. _Why the hell were you in my dream?_

_ 'You dreamt of me?' _he asked, and she could hear the smirk in his voice, _'What was I doing?'_

_ You know exactly what you were doing._

_ 'Hmm… please, do tell me what I was doing to you.'_

_ You weren't doing anything to me –_

_ 'What a shame.'_

_ Shut up, _she snapped, _You know what you were doing._

He sighed. _'Alright, then remind me.'_

_ You know… why did you do that, Loki?_

_ 'Do what?'_

_ Replace Tony… and… our daughter? Really?_

_ 'I will never settle for being a replacement to the Man of Iron, and… our daughter?' _he asked, sounding intrigued, _'Do you mean that little darling we encountered in the Astral Plain? Was I teaching her magic?'_

She was surprised by the excited tone in his voice. _No… you really don't know, do you?_

_ 'No, I don't. This is the first I have heard of your dream. What else happened?'_

_ Uh… nothing, _she lied, realizing that she had said too much already, _Nothing else happened. I just… I think I should be getting back to sleep._

He paused for a moment. _'Then I shall leave you to your dreams, my dear. Sleep well.'_

_ You too. _

Andra sat there on the loveseat, her eyes wide open and her mind reeling. So if he hadn't influenced her dream, why was he there? Did she… want that? No, of course she didn't want that future. She wanted to go home, she wanted to go back to Tony. The God of Mischief could never replace Tony. She loved him too much. That was the end of it. She sighed slightly as she stood from the seat, looking down at the glowing embers of the once-blazing fire. Her boots padded across the floor, and she realized that she had never removed her clothing before falling asleep on the bed. After she quickly picked out one of the nightgowns, deciding it was better than sleeping in nothing, she changed and slipped into the comfortable bed. Her eyes closed slowly, not taking her permission before sliding into a comfortable position. Though try as she might to sleep, she couldn't force her mind to calm itself. She lay half-awake for at least another hour or so.

* * *

~ _still in Andra's Chambers, Asgard, the next morning _~

She felt herself being shaken as she rolled over under the comfortable covers. Her eyes opened and she squinted in the blinding light of the daytime. Wait a minute… she was just awake and it was just nighttime. Apparently, time had passed in the blink of her eyes. Again, she was shaken.

"Milady? Milady," a soft woman's voice called and she rolled back over, groaning.

Andra opened her eyes fully, meeting the kind face of a woman that looked to be just into her twenties. Her curly red hair was half-falling out of the bun she was keeping it in at the nape of her neck, and formed a frame around her pale face. Her blue eyes were kind and squinted as the woman smiled brightly upon seeing Andra awake.

"Good, you're awake, milady. I was afraid you'd never awaken," she breathed in relief.

Andra sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Who are you?"

The woman laughed. "I'm your handmaiden, of course. Now, if you'll just rise and get out of bed for me, I have a bath drawn for you in the washroom."

"You're my what?" she asked groggily as she cast off the covers and tilted her head at her.

"I'm your handmaiden," she repeated slower, smiling at her as if she couldn't believe she didn't understand.

Andra stood up slowly and stretched. "I… have a handmaiden?"

"Yes, milady," the woman confirmed, grinning as she curtsied, "Have you never had one before?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Well," her handmaiden started with a giggle, "I am here to tend to whatever you need of me. I've drawn a bath for you and I can assist you in picking out a proper outfit for the day, if you like. I'll deal with tending the fire and cleaning for you, and it's my duty to do whatever you wish."

"That sounds… like a very boring job," Andra admitted, "How in the world do you do that?"

The woman laughed. "I've wanted to be a handmaiden to ladies like yourself since I was young. I suppose it's all I know. Besides, I enjoy serving others."

"I commend you for that. I could never do your job."

She grinned, taking Andra's hand. "That is why I do it for you," she joked, leading her towards a door on the other side of the room, where they found the washroom, "Here we are. There's fresh hot water in the bath. But I didn't know what salts and fragrances you wanted, so…" she trailed off, wincing.

"Trust me," she told her, "this is more than fine. It's been… _years_ since I've had a proper bath. Showers just don't have the same effect," she grinned, allowing the woman to help her out of her nightgown and into the bath.

The woman sat down behind her on a wooden stool and used a small bucket to pour the steaming water over her head, causing her ears to flutter and Andra to shake her head. Without her control, the handmaiden giggled a little at her instinctual reaction. Then she asked Andra to relax and lay back slightly so she could help her with her hair. She ran her hands through the soft multicolored locks, admiring the color changes in her hair. It was light brown at the top, with a stripe of dark brown midway through it that faded back into light brown. It was quite unique. At the same time, the stripes on her ears were fascinating as they flicked any water off of them.

The handmaiden giggled again and found herself being faced by a pair of light green eyes with a golden ring around the center. "What's so funny?" Andra asked in a friendly tone.

She tilted her head at her. "May I speak my mind, milady?"

"Of course," Andra laughed, "You don't have to ask permission for that."

The woman cleared her throat. "It is just… your ears are so fascinating. The way they seem to move on their own and shake off the water… I have only seen that on a cat."

Andra turned around and laid on her stomach in the large bath tub, facing her handmaiden. "I am a cat," she told her, bringing her tail out of the water to show her.

"That is… strange and yet extraordinary," the woman breathed, staring at her tail and ears.

"I guess you could say that. I've always found them quite boring, but then again, they are normal for me," Andra mused, turning back over as the other woman continued massaging her scalp, now with a strange minty smelling substance.

It had been a long time since she had been able to relax like this. Just lay back in a warm tub and forget the troubles in her world existed. Even though she barely had been here a day, she found she was greatly enjoying herself. Granted, with her current situation, she knew that this comfort wouldn't last long. At least she might be able to enjoy herself for a little longer. Her handmaiden rinsed her hair off and began massaging another substance in it, this one smelling a bit like lavender.

After several minutes, a question occurred to Andra. "So what's your name?"

"What?" Apparently it was unusual to ask someone's name here.

"What's your name? You're being kind to me and doing so much for me, and I don't even know your name."

"It is my duty to do these things for you, milady," she said, and Andra smiled at her.

"To you, it might be duty, but to me, this is being kind. So please, tell me your name."

The handmaiden hesitated, then replied, "My name is… Eona."

"Eona, huh? That's a beautiful name," she told her, and the woman smiled.

"Thank you, milady," she beamed, and Andra chuckled.

She moaned as Eona washed the last of the lavender stuff from her hair with the still-warm water. Then the handmaiden took a bar of soap and began washing the cat's back, for which she purred.

"You… purr!" Eona exclaimed, obviously pleasantly surprised.

Andra laughed. "Yep. I told you, I'm a cat."

"I think I understand what you meant now, milady."

Once she finished washing her back for her, Eona stood up and nodded at her. The handmaiden began to leave the washroom to pick out a good dress for her, despite Andra's complaints that she didn't like dresses. She merely giggled and told her that all ladies of Asgard wore dresses, and to call her back when she had finished bathing. Andra grumbled about hating dresses as the woman left, but Eona either hadn't heard her or simply ignored her. When she had finished bathing, she stood up and stepped out of the bath, grabbing one of the large, warm towels and wrapping it around herself. She dried her hair off as she smiled to herself. Everything seemed to be soft and warm here. She might be able to get used to this.

Andra walked into the main room to find Eona looking over a dress that she had laid out on Andra's bed and the accessories she had paired with it. The handmaiden turned and fussed over her, exclaiming that she had told her to call for her. The cat laughed at her antics and told her that she did like being_ a bit _self-sufficient. Eona replied by clicking her tongue and telling Andra to put on the dress she had laid out on the bed.

"And if you need help with the bodice, call for me," she told her, before turning and walking into the washroom again.

Andra shook her head with a chuckle, wondering if she would ever be used to having a handmaiden. She walked over to the bed, looking down at the beautiful dress. It was a light green color, obviously meant to bring out her eyes. She picked it up and held it to her. The dress reached all the way to the ground and had straps over both shoulders, the bodice lacing up the back. Andra sighed and stepped into the dress, calling for Eona when she had it all the way up. The woman came into the room and walked straight up to Andra's back, where she began to lace the bodice. It was tight, but not tight enough to make it impossible to breathe. When she had finished, she turned her around and gasped.

"You look absolutely beautiful, milady! I just knew the dress would look wonderful on you," she gushed, looking her over with approval, "It's just the same color as your eyes."

Andra smiled at her happiness with her choice. "Thank you for picking it out, Eona."

"Tis my duty, milady."

She rolled her eyes and dragged the woman to the couches, sitting them both down. "Alright, Eona, we need to lay down some ground rules."

"What have I done wrong?" the handmaiden asked, looking frightened.

Andra laughed. "No, you've done nothing wrong, I promise. I just want to establish some things."

"Alright," she nodded, though she still looked nervous.

"First of all, calm down," the cat told her, and she tried, "Second of all, how long are you going to be my handmaiden?"

"For forever," Eona answered immediately, then lowered her head, "That is… unless you don't want me to."

Andra thought for a moment. "No, I don't think I want you as my _handmaiden _forever, but I think I would like a friend, if that's alright with you."

"You… want me to be your friend?" she asked in shock.

"Yeah," she chirped, grinning, "I think that having a friend appeals to me more than a servant."

"Well," Eona started with a slightly more cheery voice, "I suppose I could double as your friend… but I've _always_ wanted to be a lady's handmaiden. So… if I became your friend, would you let me stay as your handmaiden as well?"

Andra grinned at her. "Of course. If that's what you'd like, I completely understand. But if you're going to be my friend, I have to ask a few things of you first."

The woman perked up and beamed. "Of course, milady, anything."

She pointed at her and tilted her head. "And there's thing number one."

"What do you mean?"

"Please, _please _stop calling me 'milady'. I already told Thor to stop calling me 'Lady Forsythe.' Please, just call me Andra."

Eona looked confused for a moment. "But mil –" she started, but stopped at the look in Andra's eyes, "_Andra, _it's not my place to call you by your name."

"You're my friend, aren't you?" she asked, and the other woman nodded, "Then you can call me Andra. I don't really care about social rank. You're my friend, so call me by my name. Besides, calling me 'lady' feels weird… just makes me feel old."

Her new friend laughed. "It is not meant to make you feel old, it is meant to show you respect."

"Yeah, well, stop respecting me. It's bothersome."

Eona laughed again. "Alright, Andra, I will call you by your name, but I will _never_ stop respecting you."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course," she said, looking at her with wide eyes as she placed her hands on Andra's, "You are a female warrior, and one of the best from the stories Thor has told of the Battle of the Chitauri."

"Is that what you call it up here? We call it the Battle of Manhattan," she mused, then returned to the subject, "But my part in New York wasn't that much. You should be praising Captain America, or Black Widow, or the Hulk, or…" she trailed off, avoiding his name to avoid thinking of him, "the other Avengers, not me."

"Of course we praise you, Andra! You are Andraste Forsythe, female warrior and war hero. You fought valiantly during the Battle of the Chitauri," Eona spoke with such respect and awe in her voice, then sheepishly looked to the side, "Though I have to ask… are the rumors true?"

Andra cocked her head to the side. "What rumors?"

"I apologize in advance if they are not true… but there are rumors that you are, well…" she froze for a moment, trying to find the right words, "_involved_ with the God of Mischief."

Andra stilled completely and looked at the wall. "What exactly do they mean by 'involved'?"

The handmaiden took a deep breath before rushing out, "They say that you are Loki's lover."

There was a long moment of silence.

"And what do you think of these rumors?"

Eona winced. "I think that it would not surprise me. He is… _quite_ a man, though not the best person."

Andra looked down at her in surprise. "You think he's attractive?"

"I… might," the woman muttered, her cheeks flushing completely.

The cat laughed. "You do!" she exclaimed, then noticed the woman's expression and raised her chin with her forefinger, "I won't tell anyone that you think he's handsome. I can't say I don't agree with you, anyway. It's a bit late for me," she told her with a wink.

Eona's mouth dropped open. "So you _are _his lover," she muttered.

"Yes, I am," she confirmed with a nod, "Can't really deny it anymore."

Her friend's eyes glittered with curiosity. "And?"

"And what?"

"Well, since I'm your _friend_…" she trailed off with a sudden mischievous smile, "… you should tell me. How did it happen? Did he fall to his knees before you? I need details."

Andra's mouth opened in shock before she laughed. "You're getting quite comfortable with this friend idea."

"I'm sorry," she immediately apologized, "I overstepped my boundaries, I am –"

"Eona, it's fine," she said, still chuckling, "To be honest, it's cool that you're comfortable asking these things. Don't be sorry for it, just ask more questions."

Her friend smiled as she let out a breath of relief. "So? You still haven't answered my first ones."

"Well… it happened almost gradually. I mean, it started when he kissed me, and then the next time we saw each other, we almost went all the way. The time after that, a lot of things happened and I became his lover."

"That was a _very _brief description, beloved."

Andra and Eona started, turning and looking up at the God of Mischief. He was leaning against the fireplace and smirking at them. Andra's mouth opened and she looked him up and down.

"H-how?" she asked finally, and Loki smiled a devious smile.

"A magician never reveals his secrets, Andraste."

* * *

_Alright, so... wasn't Loki supposed to be locked up?_

_**IMPORTANT: **Okay, so I do this on the other site I post this on (Wattpad) and I was thinking about starting it here. There are two teams: Team Tony and Team Loki. I know I didn't do this in the last story and that's where I started it on the other one, but I guess it's better late than never. Basically, you choose a side for who you want to see Andra with: Tony or Loki. At the end of every chapter, I'll talk to you and give you little hints and updates. Also, whichever team reviews most on each chapter gets a special little moment written for them in the next one. So please, when you review for this, tell me which you are!_

_Any questions, comments, concerns? Team Tony or Team Loki?_

_- Emmy_


	4. Hard Decisions

_Alrighty... Reviews! BTW: I'm sorry I've been away so long - Finals have been hell. _

_MitsukaiTame: I'm happy you liked it! I try to make things cute and funny and serious all at the same time._

_RozaLove: Oh, please, continue with the fangirling. I really don't mind. YES! One Team Loki member! (On Wattpad, all my Team Loki fans disappeared off the face of the Earth, and I'm afraid Team Tony killed them... they're really competitive...) Thank you so much! I try to keep things interesting. I hate reading boring stuff, so I try not to write it. This is my update... I wish I'd updated sooner, but I've been swamped with finals. Sowwy..._

_sga900913: You have a very interesting username... it's unique. I'm glad to hear that you like it, I try to keep dull moments away because... well... they're dull. Another Team Loki! Yes, Tony is Tony. I want him to have a happy ending too... I'm just not sure how that's going to work out. It'll take me a while, but you'll have to wait for book three. And yes, there is a book three. SHHH! I intend to keep it a secret!_

_Thank you for the wonderful reviews! I love hearing from you! And now... Enjoy! ~_

* * *

**Chapter Three: Hard Decisions**

~ _Andra's Chambers, Asgard _~

Andra stood up from her chair and crossed her arms. "Loki, what are you doing here?"

The God of Mischief smiled and sauntered towards her. "What else would I be doing but coming to see my adoring lover?" he teased, coming to stand in front of her.

Eona slipped out of her chair and backed away from the two, seeing the intense look between the two. They looked like they were going to either share a very passionate kiss or murder each other. In all honesty, she hoped that they would kiss – if they killed each other, it would make problems for her. Loki was looking Andra up and down appreciatively, commenting that she ought to wear dresses like that more often. Eona tried not to make any noise, but unfortunately she tripped and made a loud noise as she lost her balance. Their attention to each other snapped to her. Loki's eyes widened in slightly amused while Andra gasped and rushed to her. She was too late, and Eona hit the ground hard, slamming her nose on the ground. The cat helped her off the floor and blood started gushing from her nose, dripping on her maid's dress and Andra.

"Oh crap… okay, come here," Andra told her as she led her to the washroom and stood her over the washbasin.

She walked to another part of the room and returned with a towel, leaning the girl's head back and telling her to pinch the towel on her nose. With a simple glance, she could tell that it was badly broken – it was turned at an awkward angle to the right. When she had stopped some of the bleeding, Andra told her to be very still and close her eyes. She knew it would hurt the girl, but it needed to be done. She placed her hands on either side of her misplaced nose and counted to three before roughly jerking it in the other direction, causing the bleeding to start anew. The girl screamed after Andra reset the cartilage in her nose. It hurt now, but it would help the break heal.

In a split second, Andra was rushing from the room with a word to Loki to "stay _right there_." Thankfully without tripping on her dress, the cat made her way through the halls quickly then stopped to ask a guard where the healers were. Strong, thudding footsteps came up to her and she was met by a group of several people, one woman and four men, including Thor. He called her name and clasped his hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. His eyes widened at the sight of blood on her dress.

"Lady For – _Andra_, what happened?" he asked in a loud voice, making the others with him startled.

She turned to him and said in a rushed voice, "I need to get to the healers, _now_."

"Are you hurt?"

"No, _I'm _not hurt, but my handmaiden is."

"What happened to her?"

"She fell 'cause she was avoiding us – spider. Just… take me to the healers, okay?"

Thor nodded. "Fandral, Volstagg, take Andra to the healers," he ordered, and a blonde man with a goatee and a stockier man with bushy red hair that reminded her uncannily of a Scotsman nodded, stepping forward, "Sif, Hogun and I will find out what happened in her chambers."

Andra, in her hurry to take care of Eona, forgot entirely about Loki's presence in her room and agreed. Then she followed the blonde man down the halls, the red-haired one bringing up the rear. They arrived after a minute or so of running, into a large room with several beds in it and quite a few young ladies tending to some wounded soldiers. It looked to Andra like a hospital, though it smelled warm and inviting, unlike the overly-sanitized smell that always assaulted her nose back home. One of the young ladies looked at them and called for someone else to take her place before walking over to them. She had wavy red hair, with creamy skin and large green eyes.

"Hey, Fandral; hey Volstagg," she chirped with a grin, then looked at Andra's ears for a moment, "What's going on? Who's this?"

"Eir, we need your help," the blonde man – Volstagg? No… – informed her, and the girl groaned.

"Okay, what's wrong?"

Andra stepped forward and pointed behind her to indicate the direction of her room. "My handmaiden has a broken nose. I've reset the cartilage, but it needs something to brace it."

Eir sighed and walked away to grab a shoulder bag before coming back. "Let's go, then."

The four of them turned around, and with the blonde man leading part of the way and Andra leading the rest, they made it back to her chambers with relative ease. They burst into the room on quite the scene. Eona was still in the washroom with the towel pressed to her face, and after a moment of being in shock, Eir made a small noise and rushed in to see to her. Andra, the blonde man and the Scotsman all stood there, surveying the scene before them. Thor was sitting on the loveseat with his head in one hand and the other on Mjolnir's handle, and a dark haired, Asian looking man was leaning against the fireplace with his arms crossed, looking at the main attraction.

In the middle of the room, Loki was dodging blows from a dark haired woman's sword. While the woman looked like she was angry enough to slice his head off, he appeared to be enjoying himself. The grin plastered on his face never faltered as he avoided getting hit. Andra raised an eyebrow as he narrowly missed having his right arm chopped off. The Scotsman shook his head and sat down on the couch with an 'umph'. However, the blonde man stayed by Andra's side and grinned when she looked at him.

"They do this all the time," he told her.

She breathed slightly in a laugh. "Don't blame her. God knows I'd like to land a punch or two on him."

"From what Thor has told us, you did when you arrived."

"Nah, I didn't do it right – I only got his jaw. More of an uppercut than a straight-on hit," she corrected, and he smiled at her – he had a charming smile, she had to say.

"I don't think we have been properly introduced," he said, taking her hand in his and kissing it as he bowed to her, "I am Fandral, the handsomest of the Warriors Three."

She laughed. "I have a feeling they wouldn't agree with you, but it's nice to meet you, Fandral. I'm Andra."

"I know," he mentioned with a grin as he stood straight again, "Thor has told us much about you."

"He has?"

"Yes. You're one of the heroes of the Battle of the Chitauri. Apparently, your fighting skills are something to be feared."

Andra rolled her eyes. "I'm not a hero, that's for sure," she told him, then grinned mischievously, "But yeah, I'd say I'm someone to be feared."

"I will keep that in mind," he grinned at her, "Now, if you don't mind my asking, why do you have cat ears?"

She sighed. "Because I was born with them."

He hesitantly reached up and she nodded, telling him that he could touch them. His fingers lightly brushed against them, causing them to twitch. Fandral smiled and lowered his hand.

"Fascinating," he whispered, then looked down at her dress, "You should probably change out of that."

She looked down. "Yeah, probab –"

"Milady?" the voice of her handmaiden, now much more nasally, asked.

She turned around and saw Eona standing in the door to her washroom, a large cast on her nose. "Eona! Is your nose alright?"

"It's much better now, thank you. You and Lady Eir did a wonderful job," she said with a smile.

The young woman came out from behind her. "You did great resetting her nose – where'd you learn that?"

"Oh, pretty much every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent is taught basic battlefield medicine by their SO. It's pretty useful on missions," Andra explained, waving off the praise, "I've reset more noses than I can count."

She wasn't about to tell her the truth – that she'd learned that from a fellow gang member years and years ago. Much of what she knew about fighting came from Strike Force, and mostly from Ring-Eye and Toxic… but she wasn't about to explain that to a healer. She didn't think that the Asgardians would react well to learning that she was a criminal before she joined S.H.I.E.L.D.

Eir placed a hand on her arm. "Thank you. I don't like resetting noses – the crack it makes is just… eew," she shuddered in disgust.

"I understand. You should have seen me when somebody taught me the first time. I swear, if he hadn't let me stop, I might have thrown up on his boots," Andra admitted, and Eir laughed.

Yes… Ring-Eye hadn't wanted to ruin his boots. He'd loved those things, almost more than the tattoo around his left eye that gave him his name. It was hard not to smile at the memory. That was one of her better memories from her youth.

Eir said goodbye, and almost skipped out of the room. Andra waved her off and turned back to where the dark-haired woman had Loki in a headlock. She crossed her arms and watched for a moment, wondering if he could get out of this alive. Then Thor stood up and ordered them to stop, causing the woman to release Loki. Thor walked up to his brother while the woman came and sat down on the loveseat. Andra walked over to her wardrobe and pulled out the least frilly dress she could find and went into the washroom to change, Eona following her. The two men spoke in a whispering tone for a moment, not that it provided a problem for her ears to hear.

"Loki, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be in your chambers."

Andra listened to Thor's voice with a raised eyebrow while Eona unlaced her dress. She pulled off the long green dress and put it in the wash basket, hoping that it wasn't ruined. If they washed it soon enough, it likely wouldn't be. It was very pretty.

"I know."

"Then why aren't you?"

She drew the new one up her legs, slipping the straps over her shoulders and letting Eona lace this one up the back. She hated corset laces. But she liked the dress – it was light blue with an empire waist, the skirt of it only coming to knee-length.

"I wanted to see my lover, is that such a crime?"

She rolled her eyes as she exited the washroom in her new dress and walked around the couch, sitting down on it with a sigh. Eona walked out of the room with the wash basket.

"You're not supposed to leave your chambers, and with all you have done in the past weeks; yes, it is. You cannot earn Father's forgiveness if you don't abide by his rules!"

"I don't _want _forgiveness, _brother_. Have you thought about that?"

Andra placed her hands on her knees as Fandral sat down beside her and Volstagg began speaking with him in regular tones, making it harder for her to hear the conversation she was trying to focus on.

"Loki, please think. If you simply tried, Father would forgive you."

"No, he won't. He won't _forgive me _for what I've done, he'll lock me in the _dungeon_ with the other criminals. But so long as I have my freedom, I'm going to _enjoy it_."

Andra became aware of someone speaking to her and her attention snapped to Fandral.

"-eet everyone? Andra? Are you alright?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry.

She smiled and shook her head to focus her attention on him. "I'm fine. What were you asking?"

"I was mentioning that this is the perfect time for you to meet everyone. It seems only fair – we all know who you are, but you know nothing of us."

"Ah… yeah, sure," she agreed, and turned a smiling face to the rest of the group.

The Scotsman cleared his throat, causing her to lean forward and look over Fandral to see him. "I am Volstagg, of the Warriors Three."

"He's the one that eats too much," Fandral mentioned in her ear, and she almost laughed but held it in.

"Nice to meet you, Volstagg," she turned her attention to the dark-haired woman and nodded at her, "And you are?"

"Sif," she informed her, standing and reaching out her hand for Andra to shake.

She stood as well and shook her hand, noting that Sif's handshake was quite firm.

"Hello, Sif," Andra greeted, and looked at the Asian man.

He was silent for a short moment before simply saying, "Hogun."

"Hi," she responded, before sitting back down.

Fandral turned towards her and propped his arm on the seat back behind them. "So… tell us about yourself."

"Um…" Andra sat there, unsure of how to start, "What do you wanna know?"

Thor walked up to the group. "I am going to escort Loki back to his room, you can just… stay here, I guess," he told them, and walked off with Loki.

Andra cast a glance at them, and Loki winked at her as he walked away. She turned her attention back to the group. Hogun slipped from the room, muttering something about following them to ensure Thor's safety. Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif all nodded, but stayed in their places. Then Fandral looked at the other two and they nodded again, Volstagg standing up and moving beside Sif.

"Why do you have… cat ears?" Sif asked, looking at them with a strange expression.

Andra nodded. She'd known this question was coming. "I was born with them. It's a mutation. I know it looks pretty weird."

"So they're real?" Volstagg pressed.

"Yeah, they are," she said, moving her ears to prove it, "Anything else?"

"We want to know about the great hero, since you're going to be here a while," Fandral mentioned, and he backed away from her, "Tell us about yourself."

"I don't know… I'm not extremely interesting," she lied, and they gave her an 'are-you-kidding-me' look, "Okay, so maybe to you I am, but I have no clue what to say."

"Tell us about your past," Volstagg started.

Andra stilled. "No," she stated, looking at him, "That's a closed subject. I'll answer the little stuff, but not that. Not now."

"Okay…" Fandral trailed off, understanding that this was something to avoid, "Why don't you tell us the 'little stuff'?

"Like what?"

"You could tell us something about the recent past," Sif told her, speaking up for the first time.

Suddenly, she had the impression that this woman didn't like her.

Andra thought for a minute. "Why don't we just play Interrogation?"

"Play what?" they all asked.

"Interrogation. Basically, we go around asking and answering questions. So… let's say Fandral asks a question. He would give his answer to it and then we'd go around and each person would answer the question," she explained, gesturing to illustrate her point, "That way you guys get to know about me and I get to know about you."

They all agreed and played for a good amount of time. Each person learned more about their companions. It wasn't long before Andra began to feel welcome and like she was one of them. Well… at least Fandral and Volstagg made her feel as if she was, not so much from Sif. She didn't blame her, Loki had made it quite obvious that they were involved together and she _had_ been trying to kill him earlier.

Much information was shared, everything from favorite colors to preferred weapons, from childhood nicknames to favorite alcoholic beverages. They were laughing and joking around like best friends. She knew that the other three already were best friends, but they made her feel involved and comfortable, as if she had been with them the whole time. They all laughed when Andra divulged that she actually despised dresses, and they were surprised because she looked so good in them. Well… Fandral was. Both Sif and Volstagg called him a flirt after that.

A knock echoed at the door and they all turned to look at it, Andra yelling that it was open and to come in.

"Lady Forsythe, the Allfather has requested your presence," the gruff voice of a guard informed her.

She stood up and so did all her new friends.

"_Alone_," he mentioned, and the others stopped moving, looking at Andra.

She smiled and said, "I'll be fine, guys. Thanks for the concern."

Andra walked forward, telling the guard to lead the way, which he did. She felt much like a prisoner, following the guard to a meeting with the Allfather. They entered the Great Hall and she saw Thor and Frigga standing before Odin's throne speaking with him in low voices. The guard announced her and then left, leaving her in the middle of the room. The three stopped speaking and turned to look at her, Thor coming down the stairs and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, bringing her forward.

"Father, I will see to it she is settled here," he mentioned seemingly randomly, "I am sure she will fit in here quite well," he said with a smile down at her.

She smiled back lightly and looked at Odin. "So… uh… what's…?"

Frigga stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Odin wants to send you home, but to do so, he would need to use dark energy. He already used enough of it to send Thor to Midgard, it would be dangerous to send you back now."

"Midgard is where she belongs. We need to rectify Loki's mistakes," Odin told them, and looked at Andra, "Sending her home is the first step."

"Father, it is too dangerous! We don't know what the dark energy will do to her or to _you_," Thor mentioned, "It is safer to have her stay here until the Bifrost is fixed."

Odin looked at her for a moment and sighed. "Lady Forsythe, since I seem to stand corrected," he growled with a disapproving look to his wife and son, "I leave the decision up to you. Are you going to stay here in Asgard, or go home to Midgard?"

"Well…" Andra had no idea what to say.

Thor turned her to look at him. "Keep in mind that travelling with dark energy is dangerous. I only used it because it was necessary."

"You would be welcome here, Andra," Frigga told her with a kind, motherly smile that made her smile in return.

Andra looked between Odin and Frigga and Thor, thinking over her options. She could go home… but she didn't know if it was safe enough to risk it. According to Thor, they had no idea what it could do to her. It could kill her. On the other hand, if she stayed until the Bifrost was fixed, she'd be staying away from Tony for a long time. But if she died because of the dark energy, she'd _never _make it home to him. If she stayed, she would be welcomed by the Æsir into their home and she had made some new friends here. Perhaps it would be best if she did stay. Yes, she would miss Tony, but what could be done about it? It was better to come home later and safe than to return now and return injured, or worse, dead.

"I don't mean to undermine your authority, Allfather," she started, nodding at him, "but I think I'd prefer to stay here until the Bifrost is finished."

Odin sighed and stood. "Then it is decided. Lady Forsythe shall stay here until the Bifrost is fit to send her back to Midgard," he announced, and slammed his staff down on the floor with a large bang.

Andra looked up and saw Thor and Frigga smiling at her. Still, she wondered if she had made the right decision. What if she never made it home to Tony? No… she couldn't think like that. She would make it home to him. She would. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

~ _Midgard, New York, Stark Tower _~

Tony looked out over the city from his balcony. He missed Andra. Without her, it was very cold, practically everywhere he went. He took a long sip of his scotch and thought about her. She would have been here with him, wrapping her arms around his waist… or else he would have wrapped his around her. Either way, she would have been here with him. He wondered if she was thinking about him. He hoped she was trying to find her way home.

He sighed as he stared into his drink. He'd tried everything. Jane Foster hadn't answered her phone, and this was the only thing that could have helped him. There was nothing he could use to trace where she was, he hadn't any clue where to start. Jane had years of experience with this, he could have used her help with this. But no, he had nothing but his own mind and hope. He walked back inside, steeling his resolve. She would come home _soon_.

* * *

_So we have a sad, Andra-missing Tony. And she's not coming home yet. _

_Team Tony: Yes, she actually made that decision. I know, sadness. So... how sad are you about their separation? _

_Team Loki: Was he going to kiss her or kill her? I think you know the answer to that. BTW, what did he say to Sif to make her attack him?_

_Favorite, Review, Miss Andra and Tony ~_

_- Emmy_


End file.
